Confidential patient records could be passed from the NHS to government
departments and private companies, leading to a "disastrous impact"
on public health, medical organisations have warned.

Government plans, contained in the Coroners and Justice Bill, would allow almost unlimited access to medical records of named individuals without their consent.

Under the proposals, patient information held by GPs, health centres, pharmacists and hospitals could be passed to insurance companies or research organisations. The data could also be given to other government departments, such as the Department for Work and Pensions to check whether people who claimed benefits were able to work.

In a letter to Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, medical organisations expressed "grave concerns" about the Bill. They said that sharing confidential health records would result in patients being less open with their doctors, which would jeopardise their care and public health initiatives.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of council at the British Medical Association (BMA), said: "The doctor-patient relationship is based on trust. If patients cannot be 100 per cent sure that their records are confidential, they will inevitably be reluctant to share vital information with their doctor.

"The Justice Secretary has indicated that he is willing to amend this legislation to protect a person's right to confidentiality. We welcome the fact that he is taking people's concerns on board, and hope he will provide assurances that confidential health information will be exempt."

The BMA said that if an elderly patient was abused in a care home, he or she might not tell their doctors because the information could be sold to a private company and lead to the care home finding out.

In addition, some professionals might not seek help for drink or drug addictions for fear of losing their jobs.

Some medical data is already shared, but patients remain anonymous and the information is strictly controlled for administration and research purposes.

Spine, the new electronic medical records system, which allows all doctors access to a patient's records, will be particularly attractive to private data holding organisations.

At present, medical records can only be viewed by health care professionals involved directly in the patient's care. Some data can be kept confidential and only seen by others with the patient's express consent.

The letter to Mr Straw was signed by leaders of the BMA, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Surgeons, and the Royal College of Nursing and medical defence organisations.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Sharing data is essential for the delivery of efficient and effective joined-up public services to tackle crime, protect the public and to help everyone get access to new opportunities, developments and support."

However, a spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We are currently in discussion with the Ministry of Justice about how the proposed legislation impacts on medical records.

"It is important to ensure that patient confidentiality is preserved and that patients consent to how their records are used."